Alzheimer's disease is a disease characterized by degeneration and loss of neurons as well as formation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary degeneration. Currently, Alzheimer's disease is treated only with symptomatic treatment using a symptom improving agent typified by an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, and a fundamental remedy to inhibit progression of the disease has not yet been developed. It is necessary to develop a method for controlling the cause of the onset of pathology in order to create a fundamental remedy for Alzheimer's disease.
It is assumed that Aβ-proteins as metabolites of amyloid precursor proteins (hereinafter referred to as APP) are highly involved in degeneration and loss of neurons and onset of symptoms of dementia (see NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS 1 and 2, for example). Aβ-proteins have, as main components, Aβ40 consisting of 40 amino acids and Aβ42 with two amino acids added at the C-terminal. The Aβ40 and Aβ42 are known to have high aggregability (see NON-PATENT DOCUMENT 3, for example) and to be main components of senile plaques (see NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 and 5, for example). Further, it is known that the Aβ40 and Aβ42 are increased by mutation in APP and presenilin genes which is observed in familial Alzheimer's disease (see NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS 6, 7 and 8, for example). Accordingly, a compound that reduces the production of Aβ40 and Aβ42 is expected as a progression inhibitor or prophylactic agent for Alzheimer's disease.